We are excited to launch "Salt, Pepper, Jinja!", a beautifully illustrated children’s picture book that tells the story of a Canadian boy learning about his Ugandan-Khoja ancestry. This heartfelt tale not only highlights the rich cultural history of the Khoja community in East Africa but also connects us to the broader challenges of migration and displacement faced by communities worldwide, including today’s crises in Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria.

A Story That Needs to Be Told
There are very few, if any, children’s books that explore the history of the Khoja Shia Ithna’Asheri community in East Africa, the forced migration we endured, and the successes we've achieved since then.

Timely and Relevant
As our brothers and sisters in Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria face displacement and genocide under oppressive rulers, this story offers a vital reminder of the importance of preserving and passing down our histories while standing in solidarity with those still suffering today.

Inspiring the Next Generation
Through this intergenerational tale, young readers will learn about heritage, faith, and resilience, sparking conversations about identity and the strength of community. 10% of all profits will go to an orphanage in Uganda.

With your help, we aim to bring this important story to life in time for an August 2025 launch, marking 52 years since the expulsion of the Asian population from Uganda under Idi Amin’s rule. This is not just a book—it’s a celebration of resilience, community, and what our people have accomplished in one generation since that forced migration.

How You Can Help
We need your support to fund the production, printing, and distribution of this book. (It’s already written and illustrated!) By contributing, you are helping ensure this story reaches families around the world and preserves an essential part of our history. At the higher giving levels, you can have your family’s story included in the book as well.

Who's Writing this book? 
Iman Doroudi, a half Khoja (ancestry from the Bhimji & Esmail families), half Lebanese author has spent a year researching and drafting this book to depict the Khoja narrative framing of the expulsion from Uganda. With her grandfather Ahmed Bhimji's passing in August 2024, Iman wanted to do something more with her Khoja history and make what happened in the past connect to our present. 

Who's illustrating this book?
Nida Syed (needanida.com) has illustrated the story using real images from the past and present as inspiration for the illustrations.

What perspective is it being told from?
We want to clearly share that this book does not deeply explore the multifaceted political nature of the Ugandan expulsion, does not explain the controversies of the British colonial rule, nor classicism, and does not depict the Black narrative within the country. The primary reason for this is to gently introduce the idea of a forced expulsion & mass killings of a people and what legacy can come from it. There is a vast history rooted in the migration of Khojas that this book hopes will inspire you to research about.